Simple and quick method for determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of yeast belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The present invention provides a simple and quick method for determining the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae by gene amplification technique, and a method for classifying saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using the same nucleotide sequence. To achieve this object, the mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae is amplified by gene amplification technique, thereby determining the nucleotide sequence of the gene.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a simple and quick method for determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of yeast belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a method for classifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using the same nucleotide sequence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprises various strains, of which each has differing properties. So, there are many strains which had previously been reported as different species from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but then were determined to belong to this species (C. P. Kurtzman and J. W. Fell: The Yeasts, A taxonomic study, 4^th ed. Elsevier, The Netherlands, 1998). Since strains belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae are frequently used for the production of various fermented food or alcoholic beverages, the instability of the classification system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains presents problems, causing confusion at the site of study or production.

Although a subclassification on the basis of the requirement of vitamins has been carried out up till now (Tatsuyoshi Yamaguchi: “A study regarding the classification of baker's yeast (the 6^th publication), the classification of baker's yeast in each country”, Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., vol.33, p. 513-519, 1959), the analysis of the strains was difficult.

In recent years, however, the development of molecular phylogeny mainly regarding bacteria, which uses ribosomal RNA molecules, has allowed microorganisms including bacteria to be phylogenetically classified. Yeast belonging to fungus can also be phylogenetically classified by making a comparison of cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA or the nucleotide sequence of the gene. However, since there are very few mutations in the nucleotide sequences of cytoplasmic ribosomal RNAs, it is considered that the cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA is not suitable for the phyloanalysis of allied strains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Considering the above-described situation, the present inventors have focused attention on a mitochondrial ribosomal RNA gene which has more mutations than does cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA, and have intended to use this to carry out the phyloanalysis of allied strains, thereby completing the present invention. That is to say, the object of the present invention is to provide a simple and quick method for determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by gene amplification technique, and a method for classifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using the same nucleotide sequence.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21S ribosornal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, wherein a mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is amplified by a gene amplification technique to determine the nucleotide sequence of the above gene.

Primers used for the above gene amplification technique are shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 16.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for classifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, wherein Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are classified using the nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the electrophoresis image of the mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae amplified by PCR.

Electrophoresis image of the mitochondrial 21 S ribosomal RNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which was amplified by PCR (lane 1; PCR product obtained using primers −413F and 461R, lane 2; PCR product obtained using primers 64F and 960R, lane 3; PCR product obtained using primers 478F and 1290R, lane 4; a marker, lane 5; PCR product obtained using 1048F and 1615R, lane 6; PCR product obtained using primers 1590F and 2258R, lane 7; PCR product obtained using primers 1945F and 2676R, lane 8; PCR product obtained using primers 2624F and 4457R).

FIG. 2 shows primers used for PCR on Mt-21S rRNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Primers used for PCR on Mt-21S rRNA gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• *) Names of primer combinations
• **) Names of primers
• Loci described in ( )are dibasic mixes
  Primers described in [ ] are specific for the determination of nucleotide sequence.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing homology between each Mt-21S rRNA gene of 3 stains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Alignment of mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA gene nucleotide sequences of 3 strains belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (A; adenine, C; cytosine, G; guanine, T; thymine, Y; C or T, -; no nucleotide, shaded parts; parts wherein the nucleotide sequences in more than 2 strains match).

FIG. 4 is a dendrogram created on the basis of homology between each Mt-21S rRNA gene of 3 stains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Dendrogram showing the phylogenic relation between three strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which was made utilizing the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 21 S ribosomal RNA gene.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is described in detail below.

(1) Culture of Microorganisms

A standard strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was precultured by shaking on GlyYP medium (Glycerol 2%, Yeast extract 0.5%, Peptone 1%), and the whole amount of the obtained culture was added to GlyYP medium and cultured by shaking.

(2) Method of Extracting and Purifying Total DNA.

In the extraction and purification processes of total DNA, a standard technique was adopted with some improvements such that: great attention should be given to the cleavage of mitochondrial DNA; enzyme treatment time should be reduced; stirring should be given gently; and so on. The detailed process is described as below.

From the Saccharomyces cerevisiae stain obtained by the above-stated culture (1), total DNA was extracted and purified according to the method described in Nobuo Ogawa: Biochemistry Laboratory Procedure vol.39, Enzyme Molecular Genetics Laboratory Procedure (ed. Taiji Oshima), Japan Scientific Societies Press, p.84-85, 1996, and in Thomas D. Fox, Linda S. Folley, Julio J. Mulero, Thomas W. Mcmullin, Peter E. Thorsness, Lars O. Hedin and Maria C. Costanzo: Guide to Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (ed. Christine Guthrie, and Gerald R. Fink), Method in Enzymology 194, p.160-161, 1991.

EDTA, sodium phosphate and 2-mercaptoethanol were added to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, and zymolyase was further added thereto. Then, the mixture was heated to dissolve the cell wall of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. After that, EDTA, SDS and TrisHCl were added, and the mixture was lysed by heating. Then, potassium acetate was added to the lysed solution. After the mixture was gently stirred in order to avoid cleavage of mitochondrial DNA and fully mixed, it was cooled. After cooling, this dissolved solution was centrifuged, and the supernatant containing DNA was collected with a pipet. 2-propanol was added to the supernatant, then deposited DNA was picked up with a sterilized inoculating loop. The obtained DNA was fully dissolved in TE (1 mM EDTA, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH7.4), and the precipitated insoluble substance was removed by centrifugation and only supernatant was collected. RNase A (10 mg/ul) and RNase T1 (0.5U/ul) were added to the collected supernatant to degradate coexisting RNA. This rough DNA solution was fractionated by the addition of solvent, and only the DNA layer was collected. After the collected DNA layer was purified by further addition of solvent, cooled ethanol was added thereto to precipitate DNA. Thus, purified DNA was prepared.

Up till now, in order to determine the nucleotide sequence of yeast mitochondrial DNA, highly purified mitochondrial DNA has been required, which was separated from nuclear DNA by ultracentrifugation or an equivalent means (Francoise Foury, Tiziana Roganti, Nicolas Lecrenier, and Benedicte Pernelle: The complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, FEBS Letters 440, 325-331, 1998., Brigitte Weiss-Brummer, Alfred Zollner, Albert Haid, and Shahla Thompson: Mutation of a highly conserved base in the yeast mitochondrial 21S rRNA restricts ribosomal frameshifting, Molecular and GeneralGenetics, 248, 207-216, 1995., Jure PisKur, Sonja Smole, Casper Groth, Randi F Petersen, and Mogens B. Pedersen: Structure and genetic stability of mitochondrial genomes vary among yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces, International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 48, 1015-1024, 1998., Barnard Dujon: Sequence of the intron and flanking exons of the mitochondrial 21S rRNA gene of yeast strains having different alleles at the ω and rib-1 loci, Cell, 20, 185-197, 1980., Nobuo Ogawa et al.: Biochemistry Laboratory Procedure vol.39, Enzyme Molecular Genetics Laboratory Procedure (ed. Taiji Oshima), Japan Scientific Societies Press, p.84-85, 1996). Then, in order to determine the nucleotide sequence, in general, the obtained highly purified mitochondrial DNA has been cloned. In the present invention, however, the nucleotide sequence of yeast mitochondrial DNA was determined according to gene amplification technique (e.g. PCR), instead of the above standard techniques.

(3) Design of Primers for PCR on Mt-21S rDNA

There is not found any reports regarding the amplification of Mt-21S rDNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by PCR, and naturally there are also no reports regarding primers for PCR. Hence, consulting the known nucleotide sequence of Mt-21S rDNA (SEQ ID NO: 20), Mt-21S rDNA was divided into 7 fragments. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, primers for PCR (SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 16) capable of amplifying the DNA were designed.

Since yeast mitochondrial DNA consists of an overwhelming number of A (adenine) and T (thymine), usually comprising repeat sequences, it has been extremely difficult to find specific sequences having also an appropriate number of G (guanine) and C (cytosine) at adequate intervals. FIG. 2 shows sequences, which have relatively high specificity, have a relatively large number of G and C, and can be used as primers for PCR. For convenience of nucleotide sequence determination by DNA sequencer 377 (PE-ABI), these primers are designed to be divided into 7 fragments to carry out PCR for DNA comprising nucleotides 570 to 870. Moreover, since the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial DNA comprises a large number of repeat sequences, it was inevitable that, in respect of some primers, 4 to 6 nucleotides of the 3′-terminus match with even those of regions other than a target region. However, for the reasons that it is possible to determine the nucleotide sequence with the primers shown in FIG. 2 by carrying out further analysis, and that there are no other appropriate sequences able to be used as primers, in the end, the primers shown in FIG. 2 were designed and applied.

(4) Amplification of Mt-21S rDNA (Mitochondrial 21S rRNA Gene) by PCR

Applying the above-purified DNA as a template, PCR was carried out using, as primers, SEQ ID NOS: 1 (−413F) and 2 (461R), SEQ ID NOS: 3 (64F) and 4 (690R), SEQ ID NOS: 5 (478F) and 6 (1290R), SEQ ID NOS: 7 (1048F) and 8 (1615R), SEQ ID NOS: 9 (1590F) and 10 (2258R), and SEQ ID NOS: 11 (1945F) (or SEQ ID NO: 12 (2269F)) and 13 (2676R), and SEQ ID NOS: 14 (2624F) (or SEQ ID NO: 15 (3889F)) and 16 (4457R) as primers, thereby amplifying Mt-21S rDNA. As a result, as shown in 1% agarose gel electrophoresis image in FIG. 1, the whole length of Mt-21S rDNA was amplified, divided into 7 regions, and thereby obtaining PCR product.

(5) Method of Determining the Nucleotide Sequence of PCR Product

The above PCR product DNA was subjected to DyeDeoxy reaction, using Bigdye terminater sequencing kit (PE-ABI) and primers used for the above PCR, and then the nucleotide sequence was determined with DNA sequencer 377 (PE-ABI). All of the 7 PCR products are double-stranded DNAs. The sequences of the main and complementary chains were determined, using a forward and a reverse primer for PCR, and primers specific for nucleotide sequence determination described in parentheses shown in FIG. 2, confirming that the sequences of these two chains matched.

The confirmation, connection and search of the obtained nucleotide sequences data were carried out with computer software: DNASIS (Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.)

The above-mentioned Fox et al., have reported that, where the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial DNA (mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA was not described therein) is determined using DNA polymerase, restriction enzyme treatment for total DNA is required. According to Fox et al., this treatment is performed to decrease the viscosity of total DNA solution. However, in the present invention, even total DNA untreated with a restriction enzyme can be subjected to PCR with DNA polymerase. Therefore, in this respect also, the method of the present invention is superior to previous methods.

(6) Systematic Classification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains Using the Determined Nucleotide Sequence of Mt-21S rDNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Since the nucleotide sequences of Mt-21S rDNAs of 3 different types of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (IFO 10217 shown in SEQ ID NO: 18, IFO 10055 shown in SEQ ID NO: 17, and IFO 1998 shown in SEQ ID NO: 19), which were determined by the above method, are clearly distinct from each other (see FIG. 3A-3E), the present method was able to be applied to the phylogenetic classification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. It took 4 days to determine the nucleotide sequence of a strain according to the present method.

EXAMPLE

The present invention is further described in the following examples. The example is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

1. Test Strains

Standard strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, IFO 10217 (=ATCC 18824=NCYC505=JAM 14383=JCM 7255=CBS 1171), S. cerevisiae IFO 10055 (Basonym: S. aceti IFO 10055T), and S. cerevisiae IFO 1998 (Basonym: S. oleaginosus IFO 1998T) (T represents a standard strain).

2. Culture Method

Each of the test strains was precultured by shaking on 2.5 ml of GlyYP medium (Glycerol 2%, Yeast extract 0.5%, Peptone 1%) at 30° C. for 1 or 2 days, and the whole amount of the obtained culture was added to 50 ml of GlyYP medium and cultured by shaking for 2 days.

3. Method of Extracting and Purifying Total DNA

As a method of extracting and purifying total DNA of yeast, which enables the subsequent amplification of yeast mitochondrial DNA by PCR, an improved potassium acetate method was applied.

Consulting mainly the methods described by Ogawa, Fox et al., the extraction and purification was carried out as follows.

Each of the test strains cultured by the above method was centrifuged at 5,000 g for 5 minutes. The precipitated cells were washed once with sterilized distilled water to obtain 0.1 to 2 g (wet weight) of cells. 1 ml of 25 mM EDTA/50 mM sodium phosphate/pH7.5 and 10 μl of 2-mercaptoethanol were added to approx. 1 g of cells, and 300 units of zymolyase 60,000 (approx. 5 mg) was further added thereto. Then, the mixure was heated at 37° C. for 10 minutes to dissolve cell walls. After that, 1 ml of 80 mM EDTA/1% SDS/0.2M Tris HCl/pH9.5 was added and heated at 65° C. for 3 minutes to lyse. 700 μl of 5M potassium acetate corresponding to a quarter amount of lysate was further added, and the mixture was gently stirred in order to avoid cleavage of mitochondrial DNA and fully mixed. Then, the mixture was left on ice for 1 hour. After cooling, the mixture was centrifuged at 10,000 g for 10 minutes, and the supernatant containing DNA was collected with a pipet. To the supernatant, the equivalent amount of 2-propanol was added, and while gently stirring, deposited DNA was picked up with a sterilized inoculating loop. The obtained DNA was fully dissolved in 800 μl of TE (1 mM EDTA, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH7.4), and the precipitated insoluble substance was removed by centrifugation at 10,000 g for 15 minutes to collect only the supernatant. 25 μl of RNase A (10 mg/ul) and 10 μl of RNase T1 (0.5U/ul) were added to the collected supernatant, and coexisting RNA was degradated by incubation at 37° C. for 20 minutes. To this rough DNA solution, an equivalent amount of 2-propanol was added, and while gently stirring, deposited DNA was picked up and dissolved in 400 μl of TE. To the DNA solution, the equivalent amount of phenol/chloroform/water (25:24:1) was added, and after fully mixing, the mixture was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 5 minutes and was divided into layers of DNA, coagulated protein and phenol. Only the DNA layer was collected and this was subjected to the same phenol treatment again. After the equivalent amount of chloroform was added to the collected DNA and fully mixed, the mixture was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 5 minutes and was divided into layers of DNA liquid and chloroform. Only the DNA liquid layer was collected and this was subjected to the same chloroform treatment again. After 2 volumes of cold ethanol was added to the obtained purified DNA liquid and slowly mixed, eluted DNA was precipitated by centrifugation at 5,000 rpm for 5 seconds. Only precipitated purified DNA was collected, dried and conserved at −20° C.

4. Design of Primers for PCR on Mt-21S rDNA

Since yeast mitochondrial DNA consists of an overwhelming number of A (adenine) and T (thymine), usually comprising repeat sequences, it has been extremely difficult to find some specific sequences having also an appropriate number of G (guanine) and C (cytosine) at adequate intervals. FIG. 2 shows sequences, which have relatively high specificity, have a relatively large number of G and C, and can be used as primers for PCR. For convenience of nucleotide sequence determination by DNA sequencer 377 (PE-ABI), these primers are designed to be divided into 7 fragments to carry out PCR for DNA comprising nucleotides 570 to 870. Moreover, since the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial DNA comprises a large number of repeat sequences, it was inevitable that, in respect of some primers, 4 to 6 nucleotides of the 3′-terminus match with even those of regions other than a target region. However, for the reasons that it is possible to determine the nucleotide sequence with the primers shown in FIG. 2 by carrying out further analysis, and that there are no other appropriate sequences enable to be used as primers, in the end, the primers shown in FIG. 2 were designed and applied.

5. Amplification of Mt-21S rDNA (Mitochondrial 21S rRNA Gene) by PCR

Applying the purified total DNA of each test strain as a template, Mt-21S rDNA was amplified with the combined use of each of the forward and reverse primers for PCR shown in FIG. 2.

That is to say, using AmpliTaq DNA polymerase (Perkin-Elmer), according to established reaction conditions, there was prepared 50 μl of reaction solution containing a certain amount of 10×concentration buffer stock solution, 0.01 to 0.001 μg/μl purified total DNA used as a sample, 0.05 units/μl AmpliTaq polymerase, 0.2 mM dNTP, 0.3 pmol/μl forward and reverse primers, and 3 mM MgCl₂. After 50 μl of the reaction solution was put into a glass capillary, using 1605 type Air Thermo-Cycler (Idaho Technology), PCR was carried out 45 times, with temperature conditions set for DNA whose length corresponds to nucleotides 500 to 900. That is, after the solution was heated at 94° C. for 45 seconds, a cycle of reactions at 94° C. for 10 seconds for denaturation, at 55° C. for 15 seconds for annealing, and at 72° C. for 25 seconds for elongation was repeated for 45 cycles. After the reaction, PCR product DNA was purified with Centricon 100 (Amicon). The purified PCR product was subjected to 1% agarose gel electrophoresis to measure purity (see FIG. 1).

6. Method of Determining the Nucleotide Sequence of PCR Product

Approx. 10 to 30 ng of the above PCR product DNA was subjected to DyeDeoxy reaction, using a Bigdye terminater sequencing kit (Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems) and primers used for the above PCR, and then the nucleotide sequence was determined with DNA sequencer 377 (PE-ABI). All of the 7 PCR products are double-stranded DNAs. The sequences of the main and complementary chains were determined, using a forward and a reverse primer for PCR, and primers specific for nucleotide sequence determination described in parentheses shown in FIG. 2, confirming that the sequences of these two chains matched.

The confirmation, connection and search of the obtained nucleotide sequences data were carried out with DNASIS computer software (Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd.) The nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 21S ribosomal RNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 10217, which was determined according to the above-stated method, is shown in SEQ ID NO:18. Similarly, those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 10055 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 1998 are shown in SEQ ID NOS:17 and 19, respectively.

7. Phylogenetic classification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using the nucleotide sequence of each Mt-21S rDNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 10217, Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 10055 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 1998.

FIG. 3 show the results of comparisons among the above-determined Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains shown in SEQ ID NOS: 17, 18 and 19. Shaded parts in FIG. 3 represent parts wherein the nucleotide sequences are matched in more than 2 strains of IFO 10217, IFO 10055 and IFO 1998.

By counting the number of relaxation nucleotides of transition type or transversion type among three strains in the parallel sequence listing shown in FIG. 3, and using the following formula proposed by Motoo Kimura, the respective evolutionary distance (Knuc) between strains was calculated:
Knuc=−½log_e[(1−2P−Q) (1−2Q)^1/2]
wherein P denotes the substitution rate of transition type, and Q denotes that of transversion type.

Then, a dendrogram was made from the calculated evolutionary distance according to UPGMA (Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetric mean). FIG. 4 is a dendrogram showing the phylogenic relation among these three strains. This figure shows that the relation between IFO 10055 and IFO 1998 is more allied, on the other hand, the relation between these two strains and IFO 10217 is less allied. In FIG. 4, the concrete distance between two strains can be measured by the addition of the length of each crossbar of the two strains.

The method of the present invention does not need expensive instruments, ultracentrifuge nor restriction enzyme treatment, but it can reduce required time by a quarter to a half, when compared with previous methods. So, the nucleotide sequence determination method of the present invention is a simple, quick and excellent one. Furthermore, since the Mt-21S rRNA of each Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain is largely mutated, phylogenetic classification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains can also be performed using the above obtained nucleotide sequence.

SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 16 in Sequence Listing show primers.

Claims

1. A method for classifying a saccharomyces cerevisiae strain which comprises the following steps:

(a) determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae of interest, and

(b) comparing a nucleic acid with each of the positions selected from the group consisting of positions 22 of seq id NO: 18, 186 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 187 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 188 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 407 of seq id NO: 18, 766 of seq id NO: 8, 1170 of seq id NO: 17, 1213 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 1214 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 2065 of seq id NO: 17, 2582 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19, 2583 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19 and 2584 of seq id NO: 17, seq id NO: 18 or seq id NO: 19 with a nucleic acid of the corresponding position(s) in other nucleotide sequences of a mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae;

wherein the comparison at position 22 involves an A to g polymorphism; position 186 or 187 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid or t present at each position; position 188 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid or a substitution with an A or t; position 407 involves an A o g polymorphism; position 766 involves a t to A polymorphism; position 1213 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid or t present at the position; position 1214 involves a deletion of nucleic acid or t present at the position; position 2065 involves a c to t polymorphism; and positions 2582, 2583 and 2584 involve a deletion of the nucleic acid or A present at each position.

2. The method for classifying a saccharomyces cerevisiae strain according to claim 1, wherein said step (a) includes a step of amplifying the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae of interest using a set of primers selected from the group consisting of seq id NOS: 1 to 16.

3. A method for classifying a saccharomyces cerevisiae strain which comprises the following steps:

(a) determining the nucleotide sequence of a mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae of interest, and

(b) comparing a nucleic acid of positions 22, 186, 187, 188, 407, 766, 1170, 1213, 1214, 2065, 2582, 2583 and 2584 of seq id NO: 17, 18 or 19 with a nucleic acid of the corresponding position(s) in other nucleotide sequences of a mitochondrial 21s ribosomal rna gene of saccharomyces cerevisiae;

wherein the comparison at position 22 involves an A to g polymorphism in seq id NO:18; position 186 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid in seq id NO:17 or seq id NO:18 or t present in seq id NO:19; position 187 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid in seq id NO:18 or t present in seq id NO:17 or seq id NO:19; position 188 involves a deletion in seq id NO:18 or A present in seq id NO:17 or t present in seq id NO:19; position 407 involves an A to g polymorphism in seq id NO:18; position 766 involves a t to A polymorphism in seq id NO:18; position 1170 involves an A to g polymorphism in seq id NO:17; position 1213 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid in seq id NO:19 or t present at seq id NO:17 or seq id NO:18; position 1214 involves a deletion of the nucleic acid in seq id NO:17 or seq id NO:19 or t present in seq id NO:18; position 2065 involves a c to t polymorphism in seq id NO:17; and positions 2582, 2583 and 2584 involve a deletion of the nucleic acid in seq id NO:17 or seq id NO:19 or A present in seq id NO:18.